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Browse news articles about J-PAL and our affiliated professors, and read our press releases and monthly global and research newsletters. For media inquiries, please email us.

Enhancing Local Public Service Delivery through Financial Reform of India's Employment Guarantee

Social programs in developing countries are often plagued by corruption, especially within the flow of funds from the central government to beneficiaries. For the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) in India, the central government disburses funds to local governments...

The Impact of Offering Pay-as-you-go Car Insurance on Covering Drivers in California

Researchers conducted a randomized evaluation to test the impact of introducing a pay-as-you-go car insurance contract, which reduces minimum purchase requirements, to uninsured drivers in California. Applicants who were offered this type of insurance were nearly twice as likely to purchase car...

The Persuasive Effects of Televised Campaign Ads

James G. Gimpel
Daron R. Shaw
Early in the 2006 campaign for governor of Texas, the launch date and volume of television advertisements as well as the launch date of radio advertisements for the incumbent candidate were randomly assigned across media markets to evaluate the impact of the ads on public opinion. Results indicate...

Effectiveness of Provider Incentives for Anemia Reduction in Rural China

Patricia Foo
Renfu Luo
Reynaldo Martorell
Alexis Medina
Scott Rozelle
Yaojiang Shi
Sean Sylvia
Linxiu Zhang
Qiran Zhao
Encouraging the adoption of health seeking behaviors remains a challenge today, despite the affordability and availability of health improving technologies and services. Researchers tested whether providing principals in rural primary schools in China with information, school subsidies, and...

Afghanistan Targeting the Ultra-Poor Impact Evaluation

Guadalupe Bedoya
Aidan Coville
Mohammad Isaqzadeh
Jeremy Shapiro
In Afghanistan, researchers evaluated the impact of a Targeting the Ultra Poor program on poverty reduction. The cost-effective program generated large positive impacts for women participants across key outcomes: consumption, assets, psychological well-being, total time spent working, financial...

Reducing Farmers' Risk through Flood-Tolerant Rice in India

Researchers partnered with CGIAR’s International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) to evaluate the impact of a flood-resistant rice variety on fertilizer use and crop yield in India. During floods, the flood tolerant seeds had a clear advantage over the traditional seeds. In non-flooded areas, there...